My Sports Autobiography.
All my life I have been surrounded by sports, probably because I have so many older boy cousins to keep up with. As long as there was a ball to play with, I was in. Growing up I played soccer, baseball, basketball, and golf. I was just a kid that wanted to participate in as many activities as possible. Out of all the sports that I grew up with, my two favorite have to be baseball and soccer.
I played baseball with the boys since I was 4 years old. Of course, I had the option of playing softball, but I saw them as two completely different sports (also, the fact that the pitcher would wind up and throw it underhand scared me a lot), so I stuck with baseball. I played my best, since I knew what I was competing with. When we were young and playing on the Little League field, not only did I compete with the boys, I surpassed them at points. The opposing team would usually make fun of me, saying that my team had no chance since we had a girl on our team. I proved them wrong. But soon, we had to transition to the regulatory size field. The boys were naturally getting taller, stronger and more physical. It eventually turned into a struggle, and I was not playing anywhere near to their level. So, by 7th grade, I gave up on baseball and focused on my other love: soccer.
I was a goalkeeper in soccer when I pretty much started, since I had exercise induced asthma at the time. I didn't want to run up and down the field when I could just stay in the goal. Not to mention, if I made a big save, I was the player of the game! But I used to be a big baby about it too. Whenever I let in a goal, I would start crying and raise my hand for the coach to take me out. Didn't handle losing well I suppose. Eventually I grew out of that stage and worked my hardest to be the best goalkeeper I could be. And here I am today, a proud Tiffin Dragon.
Sports have always been a big part of my life, and I am going to pass down that trait to my kids in the future.
I played baseball with the boys since I was 4 years old. Of course, I had the option of playing softball, but I saw them as two completely different sports (also, the fact that the pitcher would wind up and throw it underhand scared me a lot), so I stuck with baseball. I played my best, since I knew what I was competing with. When we were young and playing on the Little League field, not only did I compete with the boys, I surpassed them at points. The opposing team would usually make fun of me, saying that my team had no chance since we had a girl on our team. I proved them wrong. But soon, we had to transition to the regulatory size field. The boys were naturally getting taller, stronger and more physical. It eventually turned into a struggle, and I was not playing anywhere near to their level. So, by 7th grade, I gave up on baseball and focused on my other love: soccer.
I was a goalkeeper in soccer when I pretty much started, since I had exercise induced asthma at the time. I didn't want to run up and down the field when I could just stay in the goal. Not to mention, if I made a big save, I was the player of the game! But I used to be a big baby about it too. Whenever I let in a goal, I would start crying and raise my hand for the coach to take me out. Didn't handle losing well I suppose. Eventually I grew out of that stage and worked my hardest to be the best goalkeeper I could be. And here I am today, a proud Tiffin Dragon.
Sports have always been a big part of my life, and I am going to pass down that trait to my kids in the future.
Benefits of a Blog Spot.
When people think of blogs, they think of a website that is considered a personal journal to the creator. It's a place for them to open up their emotions and release their inner feelings. In a sense, this is true. However, blogs can serve a greater purpose, like informing people of the latest pop albums, baseball teams, or art showcases. There are bloggers that are critics, "Dear Diary", and professionals. A critic can judge a work of art, literature, or music. The "Dear Diary" bloggers find their blog an escape from the real world, where they can show true passion. If you're a professional, a blog is a good source of differentiating your company from others. You can promote your new products, deals, and sponsors. No matter what they blog about, the main reason people blog is to get their opinion across the internet.
For me personally, this blog is more informational. I am choosing to write about the up and coming National Women's Soccer League, giving the readers updates on any news of the league. The benefits of choosing to write about women's soccer is that to my knowledge there is no other blog solely focused on the NWSL. That leads me to believe they will not get into as much detail as my articles will. That's the benefit of the blog for the viewers. For my personal benefit, it's being able to talk about female stars and put in my two cents on their playing. This blog will be very informal in the sense where I want to have a conversation with the readers, not just rattle off statistics. I want to be that friend they are drinking coke with watching the game and making comments on the players. Chatting with my readers while keeping them involved is the perfect recipe for a great blog.
For me personally, this blog is more informational. I am choosing to write about the up and coming National Women's Soccer League, giving the readers updates on any news of the league. The benefits of choosing to write about women's soccer is that to my knowledge there is no other blog solely focused on the NWSL. That leads me to believe they will not get into as much detail as my articles will. That's the benefit of the blog for the viewers. For my personal benefit, it's being able to talk about female stars and put in my two cents on their playing. This blog will be very informal in the sense where I want to have a conversation with the readers, not just rattle off statistics. I want to be that friend they are drinking coke with watching the game and making comments on the players. Chatting with my readers while keeping them involved is the perfect recipe for a great blog.
Advertising During the Super Bowl.
Other than the commercials, there were many effective advertisements during the Super Bowl. Since this years Super Bowl took place in New Orleans, the 49ers and Ravens played at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, and the announcers made sure to announce that several times during the game. That is a huge plus for Mercedes-Benz, because not only are the fans at the Superbowl seeing their logo, but viewers are as well. CBS was also strong in advertising that the Super Bowl was being held on their channel. After almost every commercial break, a viewer would hear "And welcome back, you're watching CBS...". CBS was also sponsoring their website throughout the game, telling people to track their status on cbs.com/superbowl. The players jerseys are a great way for not only their team to be advertised, but the clothing line of Nike. Although the commercials were the main source of advertisement, there were certainly other ways company's were getting their message out to fans.
Chapter Five.
Selling 10,000 tickets at $2 each or 1,000 tickets at $20 each generates the same revenue. However, by choosing to sell 10,000 tickets, that's 9,000 more people in your stadium to buy concessions, team gear, and souvenirs. That's how you make extra profit from the event you're hosting. This is a good marketing strategy to use if you want to increase the volume of your product to new markets. Using market expansion will attract many new customers to your service which is what one would want for their event. Soon thereafter, you can start a relationship marketing strategy with the customer to make them a repeat customer. To me, selling more tickets is in ones favor because it provides more opportunities for them to capitalize on profit.
Bill Veeck, innovation genius.
One of Bill Veeck's famous promotional ideas occurred on August 19th, 1951 when he sent midget Eddie Gaedel up to bat as a pinch-hitter for leadoff batter Frank Saucier. The game was the St. Louis Browns versus the Detroit Tigers. After laughing on the mound, Bob Cain threw two serious pitches (which ended up being balls) and tossing two balls to let Gaedel have first base. Gaedel now holds the record of the shortest player in Major League Baseball History and the Highest On-Base percentage in Major League Baseball History.
The outcome of this was positive; the fact that the Browns made this substitution didn't have an affect on the game, and it provided comedic relief during the game. However, American League president Will Harridge, said that Veeck was "making a mockery of the game". So if it's based on the business professionals behind the scenes in the MLB, they were not fans of the stunt. But if you ask anyone who was at the game, they had a different opinion. I believe it is creative and a great learning point for sports marketers everywhere. Bill Veeck is a genius of innovation and his legacy as one of the greatest sports marketers will carry on.
The outcome of this was positive; the fact that the Browns made this substitution didn't have an affect on the game, and it provided comedic relief during the game. However, American League president Will Harridge, said that Veeck was "making a mockery of the game". So if it's based on the business professionals behind the scenes in the MLB, they were not fans of the stunt. But if you ask anyone who was at the game, they had a different opinion. I believe it is creative and a great learning point for sports marketers everywhere. Bill Veeck is a genius of innovation and his legacy as one of the greatest sports marketers will carry on.
Social Networking: How Athletes Can Attract Fans.
Social networking is becoming a popular topic for marketing. Blog about what players and teams are doing in the social networking arena to attract fans.
Social networking is increasingly becoming a popular topic for marketing, with connections being the primary base of a great relationship. Some people would even argue that networking is one of the most important things to know in business. There are many ways players and teams can network with their fans in order to attract them to their games. One of which is twitter: by offering special discounts or promotions via social media, it gives your average fan a special connection to that team that other fans do not have. Other than promotions, if teams have their players create their own twitter accounts for people to follow, it will keep fans up to date with their favorite player. Not to mention with twitter you get to add your own dash of personality, which makes fans feel a personal connection to their favorite players. Teams can also hold public autograph sessions (via malls, sports card stores, etc.) where fans can meet and greet some players from their favorite team. If they have a positive encounter, they could potentially turn into lifetime fans. These ideas may seem basic, but many teams are unaware of their effect on fans. By making their team more sociable with people, they will in turn generate more fans.
Social networking is increasingly becoming a popular topic for marketing, with connections being the primary base of a great relationship. Some people would even argue that networking is one of the most important things to know in business. There are many ways players and teams can network with their fans in order to attract them to their games. One of which is twitter: by offering special discounts or promotions via social media, it gives your average fan a special connection to that team that other fans do not have. Other than promotions, if teams have their players create their own twitter accounts for people to follow, it will keep fans up to date with their favorite player. Not to mention with twitter you get to add your own dash of personality, which makes fans feel a personal connection to their favorite players. Teams can also hold public autograph sessions (via malls, sports card stores, etc.) where fans can meet and greet some players from their favorite team. If they have a positive encounter, they could potentially turn into lifetime fans. These ideas may seem basic, but many teams are unaware of their effect on fans. By making their team more sociable with people, they will in turn generate more fans.
Naming Rights And Sponsorships.
Naming rights is a big deal: that name is going to be the highlight of the stadium, tournament, or game. Everybody is going to associate the Cleveland Indians with Progressive since their stadium is called "Progressive Field". This is a good investment for the Cleveland Indians because now they can do certain promotions relating to Progressive (for example, whenever an Indians player hits a home run the Progressive Car lights up and honks).
A potential title sponsor for Ohio State could be a food company like Chipotle, where they can give out free burritos to the students at games. This is enticing to the students because every college student loves anything that's "free". It doesn't necessarily have to be Chipotle, but something that is steered towards college students will make it more profitable. There are teams such as Michigan and Notre Dame who refuse to have sponsors take over their stadiums, which is respectable. Their stadiums are prestigious and well-known, so accepting a sponsorship could actually be a hit in sales. Keeping their name is the best thing they can do for their school.
A potential title sponsor for Ohio State could be a food company like Chipotle, where they can give out free burritos to the students at games. This is enticing to the students because every college student loves anything that's "free". It doesn't necessarily have to be Chipotle, but something that is steered towards college students will make it more profitable. There are teams such as Michigan and Notre Dame who refuse to have sponsors take over their stadiums, which is respectable. Their stadiums are prestigious and well-known, so accepting a sponsorship could actually be a hit in sales. Keeping their name is the best thing they can do for their school.
Innovations with TECHNOLOGY.
There are many ideas that MLB companies can execute in order to fill their stadiums. One of which is the idea to use an application on your mobile device that orders your food so you don't have to leave a second of the action! This idea would be very ideal for teams and a great way to gain fans. By implementing this idea, Major League Baseball could gain a lot of fans.
Another idea is to use social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook to keep the fans interacted with the games. This will keep the fans thinking about the game as oppose to other things going on in their lives. This idea will help sell seats to those harder to reach fans by promoting special deals only offered through Twitter and Facebook. This idea will help fill the stands in those games where it's an easier team they're playing.
Another idea is to use social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook to keep the fans interacted with the games. This will keep the fans thinking about the game as oppose to other things going on in their lives. This idea will help sell seats to those harder to reach fans by promoting special deals only offered through Twitter and Facebook. This idea will help fill the stands in those games where it's an easier team they're playing.
Olympic Athlete Endorsement.
There was much controversy around Michael Phelps in 2009. With a newly released picture of Phelps holding a bong (a water pipe used for smoking marijuana) many sponsors couldn't decide whether to drop Phelps endorsement or to stick it out. Kellogg happened to be one of the companies who dropped Phelps due to the scandal. "Michael's most recent behavior is not consistent with the image of Kellogg." spokeswoman Susanne Norwitz said in a statement. Personally, I believe this was an irrational move made by Kellogg. I understand that when an athlete acts out of line, they need to be reprimanded, but since this was a one time occurrence I believe Kellogg should have kept their endorsement.
On the other hand, Speedo decided to keep their endorsement with Phelps. This deal lasts until 2013 so we will see if Speedo chooses to renew their endorsement. Phelps is not living up to the moral clauses provided by these endorsers. Phelps needs to restrain himself from this type of behavior, since it reflects on these companies poorly. Athletes have a huge influence on peoples decisions, so one wrong move can ruin a companies reputation.
On the other hand, Speedo decided to keep their endorsement with Phelps. This deal lasts until 2013 so we will see if Speedo chooses to renew their endorsement. Phelps is not living up to the moral clauses provided by these endorsers. Phelps needs to restrain himself from this type of behavior, since it reflects on these companies poorly. Athletes have a huge influence on peoples decisions, so one wrong move can ruin a companies reputation.
The Future Of Sports Marketing.
With social media becoming increasingly important to fans, sports industries should look into sponsorships with sites such as twitter and Facebook. By partnering up with these sites, industries like Major League Baseball can include the fans into the action, such as including hashtags of the team on twitter or tagging the team in a status on Facebook. With the economy and advancements in technology taking such an important role in todays society, it's essential for teams to hop on and embrace that social media is the new selling point. The sooner teams realize this, the more successful their companies will be.
For more information, click this link:
http://americansportsaddiction.wordpress.com/2012/06/18/the-evolving-role-of-social-media-in-the-sports-industry/?goback=%2Egde_3387309_member_186931816
For more information, click this link:
http://americansportsaddiction.wordpress.com/2012/06/18/the-evolving-role-of-social-media-in-the-sports-industry/?goback=%2Egde_3387309_member_186931816
Reflection.
Overall, I learned a few things about sports writing, marketing, and promotions. With this class being so closely related to what I plan on doing when I leave Tiffin, I made sure to be attentive and get as much out of it as possible. I learned about why social media is making as big of an impact as it is, what is involved in a celebrity endorsement and that creating a marketing plan and sponsorship proposal is not as easy as it seems! I found this class to be essential for anyone who is planning on entering the business of sports. My favorite assignment was blogging about the National Women's Soccer League because it seemed so easy blogging about something you are interested in, the words just flow! I also enjoyed making the poster for the competition by talking about sales in Major League Baseball. I would highly recommend this class to any sports management major at Tiffin.